The cellist Gunta Abele was born in 1986 in Riga, Latvia. She comes from a family of musicians and already at age of five she took her first cello lessons under Dace Puce at Riga’s 1st Music School, later she studied at the Emil Darzins Music School under Professor Eleonora Testeleca.

In 2005, she continued her studies under Professor Ivan Monighetti and Sol Gabetta at the Academy of Music in Basel, where she graduated with honors and a Master of Arts in Musical Performance. At the age of ten she won her first competitions in Latvia, in 1998 she received a diploma at the J. Dotzauer International Cello Competition in Germany and later she won prizes in national and international competitions such as the Karl Davidov International Competition (2002 and 2004), Latvia National Music Competition and others. During her study time in Switzerland Gunta won 1st Prize in the Concours National du Jura 2007, and the 3rd Prize in the Rahn Music Award Competition. In 2010 she received the 1st Prize and Golden Medal at the Concours Luxembourgeois pour Jeunes Solistes (UGDA) including European Competition for Young Soloists.

Gunta was invited to various international festivals: Rostropovich International Cello Festival, Salzburg Music Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, Menuhin Festival Gstaad and others. Her repertoire ranges from Baroque to contemporary music, both solo literature as well as chamber music.

Repertoire

Solo

J.S. Bach, Suites for Cello BWV 1007, 1008, 1009, 1010
B. Britten, Suite No.1 (Op. 72)
G. Cassado, Suite
T. Demenga, 'Aus den Fugen'
K. Penderecki, 'Capriccio per Siegfried Palm'
G. Sollima, 'La Folia'
P. Vasks, 'Das Buch'

With piano

J. Brahms, Sonata in E minor (Op. 38)
L. van Beethoven, 7 Variations on 'Bei Männern welche Liebe fühlen' from the opera 'Die Zauberflöte' by W. A. Mozart
L. van Beethoven, Sonata No.5 in D Major (Op. 102, No.2)
C. Debussy, Sonata
C. Franck, Sonata in A Major
B. Martinu, Variations on a Theme by Rossini (Op. 290)
F. Mendelssohn Bartholdy, 'Lied ohne Worte' in D Major
N. Paganini, 'Moses Variations'
S. Rachmaninov, Sonata (Op. 19)
D. Shostakovich, Sonata in D minor (Op. 40)
R. Schumann, 'Adagio and Allegro' (Op. 70)
I. Stravinsky, 'Suite Italienne'

Chamber music

A. Arensky, Piano Trio No.1 in D minor (Op. 32)
J. Brahms, Piano Trio No. 1in B Major (Op. 8)
J. Brahms, Piano Trio No. 2 in C Major (Op. 87)
J. Brahms, Clarinet Trio in A minor (Op. 114)
B. Blacher, 'Sonata for 2 Violoncelli'
L. van Beethoven, Trio No.1 in E flat Major (Op. 1)
L. van Beethoven, Trio in B flat Major (Op. 11)
L. van Beethoven, 'Ghost Trio' No. 1 in D Major (Op. 70)
A. Piazzolla, Tango from Four Seasons for Piano Trio
S. Rachmaninov, Piano Trio ‘Trio élégiaque’ No. 1in G minor
D. Shostakovich, Piano Trio No. 2 (Op. 67)
R. Schumann, 'Märchenerzählungen' for Piano Trio

With orchestra

A. Dvorak, Cello concerto in B flat minor (Op. 104)
E. Elgar, Cello concerto (Op. 85)
J. Haydn, Cello concerto in D Major
J. Haydn, Cello concerto in C Major
J. Ibert, Cello concerto with Wind orchestra
B. Martinu, Cello concerto No.1
C. Saint-Saens, Cello concerto No.1 in A minor
G. Sollima, 'Violoncelles, vibrez!' for two cellos and string orchestra
D. Shostakovich, Cello concerto No.1 (Op. 67)

If you are interested in working with Gunta, please get in touch with the EMCY Office.